Top tips for changing your career in later life

As you grow older, you may begin to feel as though you’re stuck in a monotonous daily routine. With each passing week, the realisation that you’re stuck in an unfulfilling role may start to creep up on you, eventually leading to unhappiness in the workplace. However, despite these feelings, apprehension regarding a change in career path may stop you from trying something new. 

You may believe you are too old to jump into another career, but as work can take up a large portion of our time, it is important to do something you enjoy. Whether you have had a life-long dream yet to be fulfilled or want to try something completely new, it is never too late.

Ros from The Career Coach understands that there are many different reasons why people are looking for a change in job: “Many men and women are changing career for all sorts of reasons (divorce, empty nest, wanting to learn new skills, feel valued, because they are stressed and want more balance or because they have been made redundant) and all of us need to work longer because of pension ages moving back.”

Hannah Salton, Career Coach and Consultant, recognises people changing careers later in life, offering this insight: “Sometimes people think they are too late in their career or have worked at one place too long to change career. In my experience, the biggest actual challenges are the internal limiting beliefs and lack of confidence people have about exploring the job market or changing careers. Companies value experience, and career changers always have a wealth of transferable skills, so it’s just a case of working out what they are and how they can demonstrate that to others.  

“It can feel overwhelming to explore career change at any age. I would recommend trying to put a bit of structure around something which can often be rather unstructured. Create an ideal timeline with an action plan and next steps – and consider working with a coach or mentor to keep progress going. Managing your confidence and motivation is a big part of changing career.”

The process of changing your career path, particularly if you’ve spent decades working in the same industry, can seem daunting. Nevertheless, there are some tips that you can follow to guide you on your way to your new occupation. From looking at your skills and sourcing a job to enlisting the help of a career coach. Alternatively, if you are wondering what skills you will need for a specific role, then you can use helpful resources such as Skills You Need. This is a free tool to help people evaluate their current skill set and identify transferable skills.

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How to make a career change: Where to start?

Before you dive into the hunt for a new job, it is important to think about what you need from this change of career. A mortgage, family commitments and bills need to be paid each month; however, it is likely that you will experience a pay cut as you pursue something new. With this in mind and your children have already flown the nest, fewer monthly outgoings mean that later in life may be the perfect time to change careers.

Many people may find it easy to pinpoint where their dissatisfaction with their job comes from. Maybe a restructuring in the business has left you feeling less valued, or perhaps you would like to pursue something that makes a difference. The first step before changing your career path is figuring out what elements of your current job you would like to avoid in the future.

You may find that there are some quick fixes to these issues that can happen in your current position, such as speaking to someone at work or taking on some new responsibilities. If not, it’s good to keep these in mind in your job search.

Margaret Buj from Interview Coach helps people enter a new career path in later life. When asked what advice she would offer to people who are interested in trying something new, she shared: “It’s really hard to pick just one piece of advice, but if I really had to choose one, I’d say ‘take small actions towards a career change on a daily basis’. Once you have an idea of what role/industry you want to go into, taking these small actions will help you make progress without making you feel overwhelmed. The actions could include emailing someone on LinkedIn who works in a field that interests you, arranging a time to speak to someone, or researching a course you want to do. You don’t need to spend hours every week on your career change – these small daily actions can really add up.”

“Yes, it can be harder but making a career change could come at a cost, regardless of your age. You might need to retrain, and you might be unemployed for a while while you’re studying, so you might need to fund your education. You might have a family to support, which might make it impossible for you to simply quit your job and retrain. I also think there are certain industries which simply prefer to hire young graduates in their 20s as opposed to someone a lot more experienced who wants to change industry, so do your research first. Having said that, being older and experienced can also help if you want to set up your own business, for example, as this is where maturity and experience will really help you succeed.”

After analysing your skillset, it may be hard to visualise yourself working in another industry. If you’ve spent the past few decades in the same career with your education and training specifically catered to this one role, deciding how you can apply this to something completely different can be hard.

Breaking down each aspect of your current job, you could find skills you never knew you had. For some, you may find that you have thrived in the creative aspects of your role. Alternatively, managing a team may be your forte, so focus on these aspects when you begin your job search, and most importantly, look for something you are truly passionate about.

How to change career and apply successfully

If you’ve been in the same job for a while, chances are that your CV will need updating. Although employers cannot discriminate against older applicants, such as those who use stair lifts, you may feel more comfortable leaving off details such as your age and when you graduated from university. The same applies to your work experience; although you may have worked in the same business for plenty of years, why not just mention your most recent position? Unless you’re going for a senior position where experience is key, selecting the most relevant experience can make the information on your CV easier to digest.

Your CV should display the journey that you have made to get to the point where you’re currently at. Carefully scripting a narrative that shows the transferable skills you’ve picked up throughout your career is important and allows you to highlight some of your talents. This is something that Bonita from Hypnotherapy Associates believes: “You have a lot of transferable skills from one job to another that you may not realise. For example, I changed career from investment banking to be a therapist and the knowledge of the corporate environment when helping clients was invaluable, along with the aspect of finances and marketing to run my therapy business, in general, was crucial.”

After looking at your CV, you may feel like you’re at a disadvantage changing your career slightly later in life. However, Bonita doesn’t think that this is something that can hinder you: “It can be easier as you have a lot of life and work experience to draw on. The main thing is to stay flexible and be prepared to do some quite junior aspects of a role and put in the time and energy to learn new things without ‘running’ at the first sign of discomfort. Be prepared to step outside your comfort zone - that is where ‘the magic’ happens.”

In this day and age, websites such as LinkedIn can be incredibly beneficial when looking to change your career. The platform isn’t just a digital version of your CV but also a place to network and showcase your expertise. You can utilise this platform to discover new opportunities, connect with like-minded people through groups and lots more. LinkedIn can be a powerful tool in your career change and finding the perfect role in your desired career.

Things to remember

Nikki Alderson, a specialist coach for empowering female lawyers, shared these quick tips to remember before you take the plunge and change your career:

1. “Before taking the entrepreneurial leap, I strongly recommend working the dream around the day job….” Quote from my book, Amazon's No. 1 bestseller Raising the Bar: empowering female lawyers through coaching.
2. “Be aware of your mindset – this can make or break your ability to approach a career change with enthusiasm, positivity and confidence. Changing careers later in life means you have a wealth of cross-transferable skills and a huge network. It’s just about knowing how to harness those to the best effect.
3. “Whilst it is important to have an end goal, work backwards by putting plans in place to achieve it, and take action to achieve it, as Marie Forleo said: “Start before you are ready.” Don’t wait until you have done the research to death, dotted every I, crossed every t and got the t-shirt too. Whilst doing all that, you may miss golden opportunities to learn and upskill in a new position.”

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How to change your career:

• Think about what career you wish to pursue.
• Think about what skills you currently have and how you can apply them to your new career choice.
• Review your CV with relevant information for the role.
• If in doubt, use the help of a professional to help guide you.
• Consider training if you don’t quite have the skills you need.

Making a change of career later in life can feel both exciting and daunting, but it’s never too late to pursue new opportunities. Whether you're looking to explore a long-held passion or adapt to a changing job market, knowing how to change your career effectively is key.

With the right support and a clear plan, understanding how to make a career change can lead to rewarding, fresh possibilities. It is never too late to pursue the career you have always wanted and finish your employment journey doing something you enjoy and are passionate about.

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